Why getting old(er) is so cool!

Today is the 50th birthday of a good friend and I’m looking forward to her celebration. But I have to admit that despite her upcoming birthday, I’ve been contemplating this “getting older” thing. And, I’ve realized that there are some really cool things about getting older. So, to my beautiful friend, and to all of you, here are my reasons why I’m enjoying getting old(er):

Life finally makes sense. It’s like someone flips a switch and you realize that it’s time to stop screwing around by pretending that you are something other than who you really are. I’ve been with enough people who were not comfortable in their own skin. They seem unhappy and never satisfied. I love that getting older allows us to let go of that hard candy coating which we use to protect ourselves and allow the soft chocolaty inside to be the center of attention! (I must be craving chocolate right now).

We don’t worry (as much) about getting things done. We realize that we can only do so much. And trying to fit more “stuff” in results in us missing “stuff” during the “stuff.” Know what I’m saying??

We realize that we are all worthy of healthy belonging-type love. And that we can get that love from all areas of our lives – friends, family, partners and even from the guy on the street last week who blessed me for giving him an umbrella. I love love.

We show up emotionally. We no longer have so much happening in our brains that we forget to show up when we’re supposed to. A friend left me a voice mail message this week and she said, “I can feel how present you are with me even when you’re leaving me a voice mail message.” What a beautiful complement. Thank you my dear friend.

We stop searching. What’s left to find? Plus, we realize that we don’t need to search because we can appreciate what’s right in front of us. I love this part of getting old(er).

We can really enjoy our children. They are little adults now. How cool is that? You can argue with them about politics. They can hug you back in that Adult-I-Love-You sort of way. It’s a total blast. Yes, I’m still picking up s*** off the floor but we can laugh about it now (most times).

We feel incredible appreciation for life. You know what I’m talking about. We can stop, feel the breeze, smile at a stranger, and appreciate every moment. This is the joy of getting older.